Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) is urging its members and stakeholders to weigh in with the St. Louis County Council as they begin deliberation around the Bi-State Development appropriation request for Fiscal Year 2026. More specifically, CMT is asking members of the St. Louis County Council to support the $200,103,235 million budget appropriation introduced earlier this month.
Integral to this request is the funding mechanism of the appropriation. Transit funding comes from three sales tax initiatives supported by voters in St. Louis County: the 1973 ½ cent sales tax, Prop M ¼ cent sales tax and the Prop A ½ cent sales tax. Historically, the 1973 ½ cent sales tax allocation between public transit and roads maintained a 50:50 split. Over the last two years however, this split shifted to 32% for transit, with the shortfall covered by Prop A funds. While federal COVID funds mitigated impacts in 2023 and a little in 2024, continuing this reduced allocation this year undermines the long-term funding for transit operations, including buying and maintaining buses, and could keep large-scale capital projects, like train extensions, from moving forward.
Ask your County Council member to support the 50:50 split coming out of the 1973 tax – as recommended by the St. Louis County Public Transit Commission – or at the very least a more equitable split than the 34 percent recommended by the administration staff. A more equitable 50:50 split ensures current public transit service to residents, as well as future operational needs of the region’s public transit system.
As the regional transit advocacy organization representing more than 22,000 constituents – including riders, major employers, academic institutions, labor, operators and community organizations – CMT is, and will continue to be, committed to advocating for a safe, secure, high-quality transit system for current and future riders.
CMT members know transit is a critical component of the transportation system, and an updated appropriation is needed to ensure the transit agency can continue to move forward on safety and security, service levels, ridership and cost management in the years to come. In addition, according to Community Input for the St. Louis County 2050 plan, St. Louis County residents ranked reliability and frequency of public transportation in the top 10 priorities. It said 52.6% of all respondents reported that they are dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied, with their ability to get to their destination without a car. Funding is needed to meet these needs.
Please reach out the St. Louis County Council member listed below on this critical issue.
| Councilwoman Rita Heard Days | rdays@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilwoman Gretchen Bangert | councildistrict2@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilman Dennis Hancock | District3@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilwoman Shalonda Webb | swebb@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilwoman Lisa Clancy | lclancy@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilman Michael Archer | District6@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilman Mark Harder | District7@stlouiscountymo.gov |